The Changing Moods of the Beach
23-Jul-2007 22:00 Filed in: Beach Safety
The Changing Moods of the Beach
Recently there have been some incidents at the beach. We have heard about shark bites and drownings. While the shark bites are uncommon and we have not seen any deaths from a bite, each year there are people who lose their life in the water, sometimes while trying to save the life of another.
These losses are tragic and sometimes preventable.
I think many lose sight of the ever changing nature of the beaches. Few people stop to think that the ocean is still a wild environment. When you step into it, you are sticking your foot in another world where you foot might appear to be food to a predator. You are also putting yourself at the mercy of forces which have the power to pull you from safety to danger in seconds.
I have lived in the wilderness in Canada where bears were all around us. Yet I gave the bears plenty of room and had few problems. I did not go and position myself between a mother and her cubs. Being careful is a little more complex here on the beaches and in the ocean. Yet it is up to us to understand that complexity and factor it into our behavior.
The Crystal Coast takes its name from the clear waters that are often the rule on our beaches. Yet when winds whip up the ocean, it is hard for humans and marine life to make out what is actually in the surf.
When we humans are on our well deserved vacations, we often do not want to miss a day in the water. Sometimes weather and warnings are ignored. With the recent events, it is prehaps time to err on the side of caution when the waves and water are whipped up to the point that it is impossible to see what is in the water around you.
I guess the rule should be if you cannot tell what is around you, it is unlikely that marine life can tell what is around them. When the water is like that, it is time to be careful.
Podcast
These losses are tragic and sometimes preventable.
I think many lose sight of the ever changing nature of the beaches. Few people stop to think that the ocean is still a wild environment. When you step into it, you are sticking your foot in another world where you foot might appear to be food to a predator. You are also putting yourself at the mercy of forces which have the power to pull you from safety to danger in seconds.
I have lived in the wilderness in Canada where bears were all around us. Yet I gave the bears plenty of room and had few problems. I did not go and position myself between a mother and her cubs. Being careful is a little more complex here on the beaches and in the ocean. Yet it is up to us to understand that complexity and factor it into our behavior.
The Crystal Coast takes its name from the clear waters that are often the rule on our beaches. Yet when winds whip up the ocean, it is hard for humans and marine life to make out what is actually in the surf.
When we humans are on our well deserved vacations, we often do not want to miss a day in the water. Sometimes weather and warnings are ignored. With the recent events, it is prehaps time to err on the side of caution when the waves and water are whipped up to the point that it is impossible to see what is in the water around you.
I guess the rule should be if you cannot tell what is around you, it is unlikely that marine life can tell what is around them. When the water is like that, it is time to be careful.
Podcast
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